Harsh Reality
by JennlovesHarryPotter
Summary: The Potter twins were once very close. Soon they learn that Harry is famous for defeating a very evil Dark Wizard. At first, they remain friends, but as time goes by May grows annoyed with her brother, even though she knows it’s not his fault that he gets


A/N: Yes, another Harry Potter has a twin story, but this one will be a lot different from most that you see. First of all May is not a girl who lived. The prophecy did not mean her, only Harry. As the story progresses you'll see how.

Summary: The Potter twins were once very close. Soon they learn that Harry is famous for defeating a very evil Dark Wizard. At first, they remain friends, but as time goes by May grows annoyed with her brother, even though she knows it's not his fault that he gets all the attention. Who wants to be famous for surviving when someone tried to kill them? Something Harry points out to May, who agrees. What annoys her is being pushed in the background. Will she always be there for Harry when he needs her support the most?

* * *

"But my Lord, the Prophecy referred to a boy born at the end of July… surely it can't mean the Potter's. They have twins!" Severus Snape reasoned.

"One of those twins is a boy Severus," Lord Voldemort answered.

"Yes my lord… and you'll let Lily live?" Severus asked.

Lord Voldemort didn't answer; Severus already knew the answer to the question. They were all protected, Dumbledore promised he'd protect them. He didn't care about James or the twins, but he did for Lily.

* * *

James Potter sat in front of his son letting out puffs of coloured smoke for his entertainment. Harry laughed and tried to catch the puffs of smoke. His twin sister Maybelle, May for short, was upstairs asleep. James was hoping to tire Harry out so he and Lily could have some time to themselves.

Lily entered the room, smiling, "I'll take Harry up to bed and read him a story. It usually doesn't take long for him to sleep when we read."

James laughed and picked up Harry, he threw his wand onto the couch as he handed Harry to Lily. "Takes after his father then."

They were about to go upstairs together with him when the door burst open. James ran into the hall to see Lord Voldemort standing in the door way. He had forgotten his wand, but that didn't stop him from yelling for Lily to run.

As Lily ran up the stairs she heard the unforgivable words, then her husband hitting the floor. He was gone, James was gone! Tears streamed down her cheeks as she hurried into the twin's nursery. She didn't know what to do, they'd put anti-apparition wards on the house. She wouldn't be able to leave. The fireplace was in the living-room, so that wasn't any good.

Lord Voldemort entered the room the next moment laughing. She dropped Harry into his cot beside his sisters and stood in front of her them, protecting them.

"Not the twin's please!" she pleaded.

"I only want the boy. You and the girl will live if you'll let me kill the boy."

"No, please, take me instead," she sobbed; she just wanted him to kill her and then leave. Sirius or someone would find them and find out what had happened. He'd take care of them.

"This is my last warning-"

She couldn't believe that Pettigrew had betrayed them as she pleaded for him to leave them be, and to go. Lord Voldemort said the unforgivable words again and killed Lily with a flash of green light. She fell to the floor dead. He turned to the baby next, who was standing in his cot watching with interest. His sister was still fast asleep. He might spare the girl's life, but the boy had to go. He pointed his wand in the boy's face, he had started to cry.

"Avada Kedavra!" he said for a third time.

Harry Potter did not die as his mother and father had. The curse hit his forehead and rebounded onto Lord Voldemort instead and he was gone. Harry sat in his cot wailing, the house was a mess, half the side of the house had been gone when curse had rebounded on it's owner… and still Maybelle Potter slept not knowing.

---

Harry and Maybelle Potter were dropped off at their remaining relatives, Petunia and Vernon Dursley by Albus Dumbledore. Though neither wanted the twins, they took the two in. Petunia wasn't sure how she was going to manage three small children. She found it was easier to go by Vernon's advice and to ignore them.

Ten miserable years went by for Harry and May. They both knew that they weren't wanted in their aunt and uncle's home. May often voiced that she wished they'd died in the car crash that had killed their parents. Both had come out of it fine, though Harry had a lightning bolt scar in his forehead from it. Harry didn't wish they had died, but he did wish they had other relatives to live with.

They shared the smallest bedroom in the Dursley household. When they were younger, they found this to be a comfort, but as they grew up they resented it. May loved her brother, but she hated sharing such a small space with him. Harry felt the same way, but he guessed it could be worse; he could be sharing with Dudley. However, he knew his aunt and uncle would never allow it. They didn't want the twins around their precious son.

Of course there was another bedroom but neither could hope to sleep in it. The bedroom was reserved for their Aunt Marge's visits. Vernon had an alternative if they complained too much, which was one of them could sleep in the cupboard under the stairs. Harry decided he'd rather share with his sister then sleep under there.

The Potter twins were close but they were very different. May was quiet and spent all of her time reading fantasy books. Dudley liked to tease her about being a bookworm. May would ignore him and keep reading.

"Cat got your tongue May?" He'd ask when she didn't answer.

"No, she just doesn't want to talk to you," Harry would say.

For the most part, Dudley left May alone because he liked to pick on him the most. Perhaps it was because he didn't want to hit a girl, or because Harry put up a fight. He usually had his friends try to help, but his cousin was usually too fast for them. Harry stood up for himself, whereas May kept to herself.

One morning, shortly before their eleventh birthday, Harry was asked to get the mail. He didn't mind leaving the table too much. He'd had enough of Dudley's talk about going to Smeltings. He liked to rub it in Harry's and May's face that he was going away to a good school while they had to stay at the house and go to Stonewall. Neither cared, though they were ashamed of the clothes they would have to wear. Aunt Petunia had dyed some of their clothes grey to look like the school uniform.

Harry headed down the hall to pick up the mail. There were several letters for his uncle, but what surprised him was the fact that there was a letter each for him and May. He wasn't sure who would be writing to them, but was curious, so he headed back down the hall to the kitchen where he handed May her letter, then gave his uncle his letters.

Sitting down, he started to open his letter. He wondered why there was no stamp on it. The other strange thing about it was that it had his _bedroom_ on it. Before he had the letter out of the envelope, Dudley noticed and pointed it out to Vernon. Instantly the letter was ripped out of his hands. May noticed this and quickly hid hers in her pocket.

"That's my letter!" Harry shouted.

"Who would be writing to you?" Uncle Vernon asked then pursued reading the letter.

What he saw evidently shocked him as his face went from red, to purple and lastly pale. He started to call for his wife, who hurried over to read it. She also started to panic. Harry looked across the table at May who shrugged. They both turned on May next who flinched. She was always nervous around them.

"Did you get one?" Aunt Petunia asked.

May mumbled something indistinguishable.

"What?" Uncle Vernon shouted.

"She didn't get one," Harry said. "There was only one for me. Maybe hers will be coming tomorrow. What is this all about anyway?"

"Never you mind, just get out of the kitchen, you too Dudley."

"Why?" Harry asked. "I want to know who is writing to me."

"GET OUT!" Uncle Vernon shouted.

May nodded at him, and got up. Quickly, they hurried and left the kitchen with Dudley muttering behind them. He was glad no one had seen him hand May her letter. They quickly ran up the steps and into their room. Harry locked the door for good measure in case Dudley tried to get in.

"Okay, what's it say?" Harry asked.

"I wonder what frightened them? Is there someone who knows us and they don't want us talking to them?" she asked.

"I don't know, just check."

May sat down on her bed and pulled out her letter from her too small jeans. Though Harry had to wear Dudley's hand-me-downs, which were far too large for his tiny frame, May had to wear clothes from a second hand shop. Their aunt rarely checked the sizes and bought whatever clothes she felt May needed. They were always either too small or too big. She did own a dress that fit; it was one Aunt Marge had thrown at her during her last visit. It was the ugliest dress either of them had ever seen. Even Aunt Petunia thought it was hideous but told May to wear it since it was gift.

"It's not a gift, I bet Aunt Marge bought it for one of her dogs but it didn't fit," Harry had said.

May was scanning through the letter now and interrupted Harry's thoughts. "I think they are joke letters anyway, Harry."

"Why?" he asked, he took the letter from her.

_HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY_

_Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore_

_(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc.,_

_Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International_

_Confed. of Wizards)_

_Dear Miss Potter,_

_We are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment._

_Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July._

_Yours Sincerely,_

_Minerva McGonagall_

_Deputy Headmistress._

"Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry? But if it's a joke then why did Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon react the way they did?" Harry asked.

"You know them. They hate imagination. Anytime I read books about witches Aunt Petunia nearly wets herself," May answered.

"I don't know…" Harry said. "It seems far fetched but we've done a lot of strange things haven't we? I ended up on the school roof even though I can't explain how it happened. You managed to mend that book Dudley ripped in half. I managed to grow my hair back when Aunt Petunia chopped it all off."

Harry's hair had always been an annoyance to his aunt and uncle. It was dark black and always really messy, there wasn't much he could do about it. His uncle was always telling to him comb his hair, but no matter how much he tried, it just didn't lay flat. May seemed lucky to have long straight black hair. Hers was rarely messy, but she wasn't pleased with her looks since she had to wear glasses (Harry did as well) and braces.

Deep down, he knew May was right; the letter had to be a joke. Witches and wizards just couldn't exist. He checked over the second letter and saw that it was a list of supplies.

"It'd be nice if it were true. I've always wished I was witch. I think it's a trick of Dudley's," May said.

"It say's we await your owl… yes definitely a trick," Harry said. "I don't even think I've ever seen an owl. They are nocturnal after all."

At that precise moment, something brown large and feathery flew through the open window. Harry and May stared at each other, before looking at the owl which perched on the back of a chair. It gave a small hoot and stared at them expectantly. Harry walked slowly over to the owl and reached out to pet it. May didn't move as she was frightened of large birds.

"Seems friendly," he assured her.

"You do remember that bird of Laney's that attacked me, right?" she asked.

Laney was a girl in their class. She had once invited all the girls in their class over for a birthday party. She had a large white bird that had attacked May. She had been scared of them since. Harry just gave a shrug.

"Er, I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do," he told the owl.

He walked over to the small desk between their beds and wrote on a scrap piece of paper: _My sister and I aren't sure if this is a joke or not. If you could help out, I'd appreciate it.  
-Harry Potter._

He walked back over to the bird and to his surprise, it stuck it's leg out. This was certainly a smart owl. He found a string and quickly tied the letter securely to its leg. He checked to make sure it wasn't too tight. The owl gave another hoot, spread it's wings and flew back out the window.

"How did it know to come?" May asked hurrying to the window to look. "Do you think it heard us talking… or what?"

Harry shrugged. "Let's not tell anyone about this."

When he said this, he meant their aunt, uncle and cousin.

* * *

A/N: Hope you enjoyed. Please review. And May isn't going to be a twin Sue (at least I am going to try and not make her that way.) She isn't smart, her talents are the same as Harry's maybe even lesser, but she certainly isn't a very smart version of Harry like you see in most twin stories. That's actually one of my reasons for writing this, I get so sick of reading these perfect flawless sister's of Harry's.

Anyway, you see that big retangular button underneath this right? It says Review this story/chapter. Please click on it and do so. :)


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